1. Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to input/output of visual-haptic information, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for providing users with visual-haptic information through a visual-haptic touch button, and a button provided with an apparatus for providing the visual-haptic information to provide the visual-haptic information.
2. Description of Related Art
At the present time, buttons for inputting information to an electronic apparatus have been designed in various shapes according to the purposes thereof, but are basically divided into mechanical buttons for providing physical tactile sensation and button icons for visually outputting the meaning of the buttons. Furthermore, the buttons for inputting information to the electronic apparatus include buttons attached to computer keyboards, manipulations buttons of various portable devices (e.g., phone books, terminals, electronic notes, game machine and the like), buttons attached to remote controllers and various electronic products, which may be met with everywhere, and the like.
At the present time, buttons provided in an electronic apparatus have various shapes and sizes, but actually have an apparatus for providing visual information and an apparatus for providing haptic information. For example, buttons having the apparatus for providing haptic information may include springs, and buttons having the apparatus for providing visual information may be provided with button icons attached to the upper portions of the buttons such that a user recognizes the meanings of the buttons.
Furthermore, the apparatus for providing haptic information may have various shapes using oil pressure and the like, as well as the above-mentioned springs, and a sense of button manipulation and a sense of button touch are determined at the initial manufacturing stage and provided as the haptic information. The button icons provided at the upper portions of the buttons for providing visual information to output the visual information may be printed, engraved or embossed on the buttons provided in electronic apparatuses, and recently, may include LEDs and the like.
However, the sense of button manipulation and the sense of button touch (i.e., the haptic information) of the buttons having the apparatus for providing haptic information, which are realized using springs, oil pressure and the like, are difficult to be changed if they are completely manufactured through the initial manufacturing stage as described above. When changing the sense of button manipulation and the sense of button touch of the buttons already manufactured in order to provide haptic information using springs, oil pressure and the like, it is necessary to add separate buttons. Although the separate buttons are provided, it is difficult to accurately provide a sense of button manipulation and a sense of button touch as haptic information.
Furthermore, the buttons provided with the button icons printed, engraved or embossed thereon or include LEDs and the like are added to the buttons already manufactured in order to provide haptic information using the above-mentioned springs, oil pressure and the like according to the purposes thereof, that is, buttons already manufactured in order to mechanically provide haptic information. In other words, buttons for providing visual-haptic information are manufactured by adding the buttons for providing visual information to buttons manufactured in order to mechanically provide haptic information. Therefore, when the purposes of the buttons are changed, it is difficult to change button icons.
As described above, since the visual-haptic information (i.e., the button icons, the sense of button manipulation, and the sense of button touch) of the buttons for providing visual-haptic information are determined at the manufacturing stage, it is difficult to variably provide visual-haptic information thereafter. In this regards, it is necessary to provide a scheme for easily providing various types of visual-haptic information adaptively according to the purposes of buttons.